ABSTRACT
In the origins of humanity, each child was attributed a different name that was created freely by his genitore. The use of a name begins to appear around the year 1000 and its use only spreads through Europe during the Renaissance. During the eleventh century the most decisive mutation occurs when the system of the double name replaces the system of single names. The name indelibly seals the right of each person to recognition by others of his inalienable identity. When a name is the exclusive property of a certain subject, its meaning goes beyond this quality: it grants this subject a title that makes him someone irreplaceable. The continuity of the name as a referent of the person may in some cases not be interrupted by the person's death. It is important to underscore the salient place of names in regard to human rights.
